A ligand strand that displays anion-dependant reactivity with acetonitrile; formation of either a mononuclear complex or head-to-tail circular helicate.

The ligand L2,2 contains two bidentate domains separated by a 3,3-diamino-2,2'-biphenyl spacer unit and with Cu(ClO4)2 a mononuclear species is formed (e.g. [Cu(L2,2)]2+). Upon coordination with Cu(triflate)2 the ligand undergoes reaction with an acetonitrile solvent, producing a different ligand with unsymmetrical bidentate and tridentate domains (L2,3). This new ligand results in the formation of a tetranuclear head-to-tail circular helicate [Cu4(L2,3)4]8+ showing that in the presence of the triflate anion the ligand denticity is changed.

Mapping the internal recognition surface of an octanuclear coordination cage using guest libraries.

Size and shape criteria for guest binding inside the cavity of an octanuclear cubic coordination cage in water have been established using a new fluorescence displacement assay to quantify guest binding. For aliphatic cyclic ketones of increasing size (from C5 to C11), there is a linear relationship between ΔG for guest binding and the guest's surface area: the change in ΔG for binding is 0.3 kJ mol(-1) Å(-2), corresponding to 5 kJ mol(-1) for each additional CH2 group in the guest, in good agreement with expectations based on hydrophobic desolvation. The highest association constant is K = 1.2 × 10(6) M(-1) for cycloundecanone, whose volume is approximately 50% of the cavity volume; for larger C12 and C13 cyclic ketones, the association constant progressively decreases as the guests become too large. For a series of C10 aliphatic ketones differing in shape but not size, ΔG for guest binding showed no correlation with surface area. These guests are close to the volume limit of the cavity (cf. Rebek's 55% rule), so the association constant is sensitive to shape complementarity, with small changes in guest structure resulting in large changes in binding affinity. The most flexible members of this series (linear aliphatic ketones) did not bind, whereas the more preorganized cyclic ketones all have association constants of 10(4)-10(5) M(-1). A crystal structure of the cage·cycloundecanone complex shows that the guest carbonyl oxygen is directed into a binding pocket defined by a convergent set of CH groups, which act as weak hydrogen-bond donors, and also shows close contacts between the exterior surface of the disc-shaped guest and the interior surface of the pseudospherical cage cavity despite the slight mismatch in shape.

Synthesis of ligands containing N-oxide donor atoms and their assembly into metallosupramolecular structures.

A series of ligands that contain both N-donor and N-oxide donor atoms have been synthesised and ligands L5, L6, L7 and L8 contain, 4, 6, 5, and 6 donor atoms respectively. The smallest ligand L5 forms a mononuclear complex with Cu2+ ([Cu(L5)(ClO4)2(MeCN)]) whereas L6 and L7 form dinuclear double helicates with Ni2+ and Cu2+ respectively ([Ni2(L6)2]4+ and [Cu2(L7)2]4+). L8 forms a tetranuclear cyclic helicate upon reaction with Co2+ ([Co4(L8)4]8+) and in all cases the complexes are characterised by single-crystal X-ray diffraction and ESI-MS. The N-oxide units imparts flexibility in the ligand strand and where the unoxidised ligand strand forms a cyclic helicate, the incorporation of an N-oxide unit allows the formation of the dinuclear double helicate.

Shape-, size-, and functional group-selective binding of small organic guests in a paramagnetic coordination cage.

The host-guest chemistry of the octanuclear cubic coordination cage [Co(8)L(12)](16+) (where L is a bridging ligand containing two chelating pyrazolyl-pyridine units connected to a central naphthalene-1,5-diyl spacer via methylene "hinges") has been investigated in detail by (1)H NMR spectroscopy. The cage encloses a cavity of volume of ca. 400 Å(3), which is accessible through 4 Å diameter portals in the centers of the cube faces. The paramagnetism of the cage eliminates overlap of NMR signals by dispersing them over a range of ca. 200 ppm, making changes of specific signals easy to observe, and also results in large complexation-induced shifts of bound guests. The cage, in CD(3)CN solution, acts as a remarkably size- and shape-selective host for small organic guests such as coumarin (K = 78 M(-1)) and other bicyclic molecules of comparable size and shape such as isoquinoline-N-oxide (K = 2100 M(-1)). Binding arises from two independent recognition elements, which have been separately quantified. These are (i) a polar component arising from interaction of the H-bond accepting O atom of the guest with a convergent group of CH protons inside the cavity that lie close to a fac tris-chelate metal center and are therefore in a region of high electrostatic potential; and (ii) an additional component arising from the second aromatic ring (aromatic/van der Waals interactions with the interior surface of the cage and/or solvophobic interactions). The strength of the first component varies linearly with the H-bond-accepting ability of the guest; the second component is fixed at approximately 10 kJ mol(-1). We have also used (1)H-(1)H exchange spectroscopy (EXSY) experiments to analyze semiquantitatively two distinct dynamic processes, viz. movement of the guest into and out of the cavity and tumbling of the guest inside the host cavity. Depending on the size of the guest and the position of substituents, the rates of these processes can vary substantially, and the rates of processes that afford observable cross-peaks in EXSY spectra (e.g., between free and bound guest in some cases; between different conformers of a specific host·guest complex in others) can be narrowed down to a specific time window. Overall, the paramagnetism of the host cage has allowed an exceptionally detailed analysis of the kinetics and thermodynamics of its host-guest behavior.

Selective guest recognition by a self-assembled paramagnetic cage complex.

A cubic cage complex assembled from twelve bis-bidentate ligands and eight Co(II) ions provides a cavity that selectively recognises and binds coumarin in MeCN solution. The cage portals are large enough to allow guest exchange, but small enough to provide a kinetic trap; the cage paramagnetism facilitates detailed NMR analysis.

Controlling the formation of metallosupramolecular assemblies by metal ionic radii.

The formation of either dinuclear double-stranded or pentanuclear circular helicates from a ligand containing two tridentate domains separated by a phenylene unit can be controlled by inter-ligand steric interactions which themselves are governed by the size of the metal ion.

Isomeric pyridyl-thiazole donor units for metal ion recognition in bi- and tri-metallic helicates.

Linking two isomeric tridentate N-chelates together produces a hetero-ditopic ligand capable of selectively binding Hg2+ and Zn2+ ions in a double-stranded helicate.

Metal-specific allosteric activation and deactivation of a diamine.

The reaction of a potentially tetradentate bis(pyridyl-thiazole) ligand with acetone is allosterically activated upon complexation with Cd(II) but deactivated by reaction with Cu(I), demonstrating metal-specific allosteric controlled reactivity.